Chef Patti Anastasia
603.818.9991
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Serving Southern New Hampshire &
the Merrimack Valley since 2003
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Great meals & the time to enjoy them!
Chef Patti Anastasia Serving Southern New Hampshire & |
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Table Talk » September 2008 Archives« August 2008 | Table Talk Home | November 2008 » September 29, 2008How was your day today?My day was going great until I put the sheet of biscuits in the oven. After 5 minutes, I went to check on them and discovered that the oven wasn't on. I had turned it off earlier and forgot to turn it back on. Grr. Remade the biscuits. Thankfully this client is always well-stocked with butter and flour. The biscuits came out great. Wonderful, everything is perfect, I'm ready to package. I'm doing a 5/6 (that's 5 different meals, 6 servings of each meal), each meal gets packaged in two 2-serving packages and two 1-serving packages. I get two of the five meals vacuum sealed and am about to start on the next meal and I hear a big boom, then the power goes out. No big deal, I've had the power go out while I was at a client's before, it will be back within 30 minutes. I can wash dishes and clean up. Must conserve water because once the well holding tank is empty, no more water until we have electricity to run the well pump. I get the dishes done. Yay. OK, so I'll put all the remaining food in the vac bags and have them ready to seal when the power comes back. It will be back any minute now, right? Got everything in bags waiting for the power to come back. It will just take 15 minutes to seal everything. Dishes are washed. All my stuff is back in my car. Still no power. Client had been home earlier in the day, but she went out just before the power failure. Client comes home. Of course her garage door won't open. I go out and tell her that power is off. She is annoyed that I've been held up. We try to start the generator. We get is started, but it won't stay running. Grr. Client calls power company. They say they know about the outage, haven't determined the cause, but they predict power will be back on by 6:30pm. Hmm, doesn't sound too promising. Client tells me to go home and that she'll seal everything when power comes back. (One of my sealers lives at her house.) We go over how it works. Just as I am getting ready to leave, power comes back on. Client is excited to play with the sealer, so we seal everything. She thinks its fun. I finally go home 1 1/2 hours later than I would have if the power hadn't gone out. September 28, 2008Gluten-free culinary heaven (part 3)The last day of the Gluten-Free Culinary Summit was a Hands-On Holiday Baking session. We worked in groups of four or five. Each session started with a demonstration of the recipe, then we worked on it at our tables while the instructor walked through the room offering advice. We didn't bake any of the recipes we made, we were learning how to mix and form the doughs. Holiday baking isn't complete without sugar cookies. So, first up was Chef Wendy Vietro, Pastry Chef/Owner of Ursula's European Pastries (Cranston, RI). Chef Vietro demonstrated Traditional Holiday Sugar Cookies. After her demonstration, each table mixed a batch of the sugar cookie dough. Wendy gave us some great tips about working with the dough. Her tips included making sure that the butter was very soft before mixing the dough. This helps avoid a crumbly dough. She also showed us a "cheat" for rolling out the dough: rolling pin rings. I've seen pictures of these but I've never seen them in use. My favorite rolling pin is tapered so the rings won't work on it. I'll have to get a new rolling pin to try them. Chef Vietro also told us how to use this recipe to make Russian Tea Cookies and also a pistachio coated thumbprint. She shared how she grinds nuts in a Zyliss rotary grater. What a great tip. Chef Vietro's dough went together easily and was easy to roll out and cut. At the end of the session we all received a package of cookies made with the sugar cookie dough. Our second demonstration was presented by Chef Lee Tobin of Whole Foods Market Gluten-Free Bakehouse. Chef Tobin demonstrated a Gluten-Free Raspberry Linzertorte. This linzertorte has a hazelnut-based crust, but it can be made with walnuts or almonds. A tip that Chef Tobin gave us was to toss the cubes of cold butter with a bit of the flour to keep the butter from sticking to itself when you cut it in. We were also instructed to form the dough into a round before rolling it out. And to roll the dough out on parchment. The linzertorte has a bottom crust that is spread with raspberry jam, then topped with a lattice crust. For this session, the dough was already made; we rolled out the bottom crust and placed it in the tart pan, spread it with the raspberry filling, then rolled out the top crust and cut it into the strips for the lattice and placed the lattice on top of the filling. Rather than making a large tart, we can use this dough to make thumbprint cookies. At the end of the session, we all got a small piece of the tart to try. It was delicious! Next up was Judith Mann, owner of Good JuJu Bakery (S. Yarmouth, MA), to demonstrate a Holiday Braided Cinnamon Fruit Bread, which she said was like a fruit cake, only better. This dough had yeast to help it rise in the oven. It was scented with cinnamon and studded with dried fruit. She included instructions for mixing in a stand mixer or mixing by hand. Our group mixed it by hand. The dough was very thick and hard to mix (I did most of the hand mixing). When I make this, I'll mix it in the stand mixer. The bread is braided, but rather than braiding ropes of dough, the bread is made in a La Forme braided loaf pan. I'm not a fan of traditional fruit cake, but this bread was delicious. I was thinking about what a great peanut butter sandwich it would make. You can't have holidays with pies, so in our last session, Chef Renee Zonka from Kendall College demonstrated Traditional Pie Crust. Her crust is made with both butter and shortening. What I loved about this demo is that Chef Zonka went through the ingredients in a pie crust and described why she choose each of the ingredients in her gluten-free pie crust. Her pie crust uses both butter and shortening and she freezes the butter and shortening. Rather than white rice flour, she uses sweet rice flour, which is finer ground and less gritty than white rice flour. Her flour mixture also includes sorghum flour, which has properties similar to wheat flour. Xanthan gum pulls the dough together, vinegar softens the dough, and baking powder lightens the dough. I've made gluten-free pie crusts and I've never been 100% happy with them. I'm looking forward to working with this recipe. Another thing I learned is that when I cut the fat into the flour mixture, I've been working it too much. I need to leave larger bits of fat in the dough. At the end of this demonstration, we got pieces of a baked crust to try. It was light and flaky. Much better that the gluten-free crusts that I've made before. These baking demonstrations were great. It was fun to get our hands on the doughs to see what they should feel like and to get tips from the chefs to help us to improve our gluten-free baking. It's one thing to watch a demonstration, but when you get to participate, you learn so much more. Again, Suzanne Bowland of GF Culinary Productions, Inc. did an outstanding job organizing and running this conference. I left the conference with so much knowledge and inspiration. I plan to attend future summits. Thanks Suzanne, for the incredible opportunity to learn from the presenters and the attendees. September 27, 2008Gluten-free culinary heaven (part 2)One week ago I was enjoying a gluten-free feast as part of the Gluten-Free Culinary Summit. The theme of the Gala dinner was "For the Love of Gluten-Free Italian Cuisine". Seriously, it was the best meal that I've had in recent history. Here's the menu: Farinata Antipasti Roasted Artichoke Dip with Bread Crumb Topping Secondo Chianti Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Parmesan Polenta Seared Mushroom, Pea, and Carrot Risotto Cake with Spicy Tomato Relish and Goat Cheese We thought that we would each have to pick one of these dishes and everyone was struggling with that decision, but, when it was time for this course, they announced that these dishes would be served family-style so that we could try each one. What a relief! The chicken and short ribs were served family-style and everyone was served a dish with a small risotto cake. It's hard to say which dish was my favorite. Each was beautifully executed. I think I'll give a slight edge to the short ribs. But then again, I would be delighted to be served the chicken or the risotto cake over and over again. Dolci Tiramisu Trifle Fruit Sorbets The desserts were presented as bite-sized, which was perfect after this rich and delicious meal. The chocolate cake melted in my mouth. The tiramisu was redolent with espresso. The hotel provided adorable molded fruit sorbets for diners who could not have the dairy or eggs in the other desserts. I wish I had written this last week when the meal was fresh in my mind. I hope that we will get the recipes from dinner because these dishes are ones that I would love to make at home and for my clients. This dinner was outstanding and proof that gluten-free food does not have to be plain or boring. Dinner was a celebration of deliciously prepared gluten-free food. The diners loved every bite. Part 3 will cover Sunday's hands-on holiday baking session. September 22, 2008Gluten-free culinary heaven (part 1)I had the pleasure of attending two days of the Gluten-Free Culinary Summit this past weekend. I couldn't attend all three days because on Friday I was flying home from vacation. Suzanne Bowland of GF Culinary Productions did an outstanding job of organizing and running the summit. For her, it is truly a labor of love. The summit presentations focused on an abundance of delicious gluten-free food. The presenters and attendees offered delicious recipes and tips. The room was always abuzz with positive energy and excitement about good food. Saturday started with Jacqueline Mallorca, author of The Wheat-Free Cook, presenting an overview of the future of gluten-free gastromony, then headed right into cooking demos complete with tastings. In a session titled Paradise Found Celebrating the Art of Gluten-Free Desserts, Chef Dean Lavornia demonstrated a Honey Pecan Tart with a Gingerbread Crust. It would be a perfect Thanksgiving dessert. Like pecan pie, only better. It was very sweet, but delicious. The gingerbread crust was perfect. Chef Lavornia told us how to use the crust recipe to make graham crackers, gingerbread house parts, and gingerbread cookies. Pecan pie and similar desserts are too sweet for me to eat more than a bite or two. Our tasting pieces were 1 1/2 inch squares and that was perfect for me. I know that I'm going to be using the gingerbread crust recipe. Next, Chef Joel Schaefer, Manager of Product Development & Special Diets for Walt Disney World, presented a session called Much Ado About Dumplings! When I think of dumplings, I think of Chinese dumplings, dim sum, etc. But Chef Shaefer's demonstration was for Chicken and Dumpling Soup. It wasn't Chinese dumplings, but it was delicious. The dumplings were gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free. Perfect comfort food. I wanted a bowl of this for lunch. Chef Robert Landolphi, Director of Culinary Operations at UCONN, presented Brave New Bisques and Breadings. Chef Landolphi made Creamy Shrimp Bisque, which used rice rather than a roux to thicken the bisque. I was really happy when I saw this soup on the lunch buffet. While the soup was simmering, he demoed Tri-Spiced Onion Rings with Horseradish Dipping Sauce. The room was buzzing with excitement about the onion rings. Many of the attendees had not had onion rings in years and were delighted to have an onion ring recipe that they could eat. The batter used gluten-free beer. The breading was spiked with chili powder and cumin. The dipping sauce sour cream, ketchup, seasoned salt, horseradish, cayenne, and paprika. It could easily be made dairy-free by using soy sour cream. When the samples were passed out, there was silence in the room, then a collective sigh of contentment. I know a lot of people will be making onion rings at home this week. Chef Landolphi talked a lot about the special diet operations at UCONN. It was impressive. Every cafeteria provides gluten-free options so students are not limited to eating in just one cafeteria. Every item in the cafeteria is labeled with potential allergens so that students don't have to ask about every item. Gluten-free snacks and cereals are available in a special case at all times. UCONN works hard to make students with special diet needs feel normal. Lori Sobelson of Bob's Red Mill walked us through many recipes in a 30-page booklet of gluten-free recipes provided by her company. One recipe that she talked about, a hazelnut quinoa salad, was one of the dishes included in our lunch on Sunday. Quinoa, hazelnuts, red grapes, and green onions with a strawberry-balsamic dressing. It was light and refreshing. The last session on Sunday was presented by Chef Walter Potenza. Chef Potenza demoed three dishes: Castagnaccio (flat chestnut cake), farinata (similar to polenta, but made using chickpea flour), and Tortino di cioccolato et bieta rossa (chocolate and red beets molten tart). The tart was made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake mix. The only "added" sugar in the cake was in the bittersweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons of strawberry spreadable fruit. The recipe makes 12 servings and includes 1/2 cup beet puree. I love beets, but you would never know that there are beets in this cake. This was the recipe we tasted in this session. It was the hit of the day. I'm making plans to make this cake for some of my clients. At the end of these sessions, there was a question and answer time with all of the presenters. Any questions that didn't get answered during the sessions were answered. Presenters and attendees offered lots of advice during this session. And that was just the beginning. Saturday ended with a four-course gluten-free dinner. More about that in Part 2. September 21, 2008It feels great to cook againI was on the road from September 9th until just a few hours ago. A 10-day motorcycle trip out west with Tom followed by 2 days at a gluten-free culinary conference with Marcy. More about both of those later. So since breakfast on September 9th, I've eaten every single meal away from home. When I got home tonight, I was delighted to learn that Tom had picked up some chicken (and green beans!) so I could make one of our favorite dinners. Spicy Chicken Cutlets Boneless chicken breasts rubbed with a mixture of 3 types of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil, then seared in olive oil. The pan is deglazed with cider vinegar, tomato sauce is stirred into the pan and the chicken is simmered until cooked through. Easy and delicious. It felt really good to be back at the stove. Spicy Chicken Cutlets
September 7, 2008Peppered Pork with Blue Cheese PlumsCooking Light's Peppered Pork with Blue Cheese Plums is a huge hit at home and with my friends. The recipe calls for grilling, but I've adapted it to the stovetop and oven. This is definitely a company-worthy dish. And it's very simple to make. The first task is to grind fresh rosemary, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds in a spice blender. I use this one from KitchenAid. I bought mine at the local Target. The thing that I like about this grinder is that the bowl with the blade is a separate piece and can be thoroughly washed. So that every time you grind something, you can clean out all the reside. It's even dishwasher safe. After you grind the rosemary and spices, you add some salt and pepper. Next, I spray the pork with olive oil spray, rub the spice mixture on the pork tenderloin, then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a few hours. Here's where I deviate from the original recipe. Rather than cooking the pork on the grill, I sear it on all sides in grill pan or heavy skillet. Spray the pan with olive oil spray and heat it over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the pork tenderloin and cook it for 2-3 minutes until the spice crust is seared, then turn it 90 degrees, sear that side for 2-3 minutes, repeat until all sides of the pork tenderloin are seared. At this point, I remove the pork from the grill pan and set it in a deep baking pan, a 13x9 pan is deep enough. Insert a probe thermometer into the pork tenderloin, making sure to insert it lengthwise into the tenderloin while keeping the probe in the center of the tenderloin. I add 1 cup of white wine to the pan and bake the tenderloin at 350F until the internal temperature reaches 145F-150F. The wine in the pan creates a nice pan juice while keeping the tenderloin moist. When the pork reaches 145F-150F, turn the oven off and remove the tenderloin from the oven. Tent with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Lightly spray the cut side of the plums with olive oil spray. When the pork reaches 140F, heat the grill pan over medium heat and add the plums, cut side down and sear them for 3-4 minutes. Remove the grill pan from the heat, turn the plum over so that they are resting on the round side. When you remove the pork from the oven and turn the oven off, put the grill pan in the oven and let the plums cook while the pork is resting. Remove the plums from the oven and place a spoonful of blue cheese on the plums. Serve the plums with the sliced pork.
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